Apparatus and methods for registering cash, registering a sale, and automatically dispensing change

ABSTRACT

Robbery-immune cash-handling system in which bills and coins are received, identified, and registered, the amount of a sale is registered and correct change is automatically computed and disbursed. Multicell magazines are provided for $10, $5, and $1 bills, which are dispensed automatically as change. $1 bills are also loaded automatically. Step switches are employed in a parallel addition technique for registering cash inputs and in a dynamic subtraction technique for computing and dispensing change. Cash reserves are accessible only to authorized personnel.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Robert D. Morrow 3,191,737 6/1965194/ I0 X Baltimore; 3,279,480 l0/l96 Jarvis l33/8 Donald E. Miller,Glen Burnie, both of Md. 3.41 1,664 l 1/19 8 Davis" 22 /88 [2!] App].No. 827,675 3,242,929 3/ I966 Adams 194/10 X [22] Filed May 1969 PrimaryExaminer-Stanley H. Tollberg [45 1 Patented Sept 1971 Attorney-Shapiroand Shapiro [73] Assignee Technology Systems Incorporated Cockeysvllle,Md.

[54] APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR REGISTERING CASH, REGISTERING A SALE, ANDAUTOMATICALLY DISPENSING CHANGE 4 laims,32 D In F I 3 c "w I 1 ABSTRACT:Robbery-immune cash-handling system in which [52] US. Cl. 194/4, n ancoins are received identified and registered h 221/88 amount of a saleis registered and correct change is automati- [511 Int-m 1/06 callycomputed and disbursed. Multicell magazines are pro- [50] Field ofSearch 194/4, 10; vided for $10, $5, and SI bills, which are dispensedau i- 221/79' 87,69 cally as change. $1 bills are also loadedautomatically. Step I switches are employed in a parallel additiontechnique for re- [56] References Cited gistering cash inputs and in adynamic subtraction technique UNITED STATES PATENTS for computing anddispensing change. Cash reserves are ac- 3,l78,003 4/ I965 I-Iavillel94/4 E cessible only to authorized personnel.

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Q 00 RIGIITIR .lami'es PATENTED SEP28 19w sum 01 [1F 2 INVENTORS ROBERTD. MORROW DONALD E, MILLER m 560 000 and S/m nm PATENTEDSEPZBISYI3.608.690

SHEET 02 0F 20 2 mvmmns 7 ROBERT D. MORROW DONALD EI'MILLER BY 5/70 3170and (r0 ATTORNEYS PATENTEU 8EP28 1971 1 350 530 SHEET us or 20 I p mvsmons ROBERT D. MORROW DONALD E. MILLER BY 550/ 270 00d 550 170PATENTEU SEP28 12m BY 560 mm and s/m airo ROBERT D. MORROW DONALD E.MILLER PATENTEU 8EP28|97| 3,608,690

sum 07 0F 20 ROBERT DsMQRROW DONALD E. MILLER 4 BY 5/70 0110 and ShapiroATTORNEYS INVENTORS PATENTEnsu'zsml 3,608,690

sumuanrzq FIG. 11

ROBERT D. MORROW 24B DONALD E. MILLER BY 5/70 2170 and s/m wo ATTORNEYSPATENIED SEP28 as?! SHEET 10 [1F 20 INVENTORS ROBERT- D. MORROW DONALDE. MILLER BY Shapiro and fi /m nim A'r'ron'uns PATENIEU SEP28 I97!INVENTORS ROBERT D, MORROW DONALD E. MILLER BY $60,000 and 5690170AT'ron'NnYs PATENTEDSEPZBIQTQ 1608.690

' SHEET 12 [1F 20 I93 I97 I92 I I88 FIG. I68

FIG. I66

INV BNTORS ROBERT D. MORROW DONALD E. MILLER y 560,000 and 5/70 0170ATTOR N EYS FIG /60 INVEN'IOIIS ROBERT MORROW DONALD E. LLER I BY 5/703170 and 560 0170 ATTORNEYS PATENTEnsEP28mn 3.608.690

sum 11ur20 n J 071- 1 1 L EvEl 2 LEVEL 3 ;LEVEL'4 T0 $1 DECADE F /6 22 If.

INVENTORS ROBERTO. MORROW DONALD E. MILLER y 560,0)?0 0nd 550 0270ATTORNEYS Pmmmmn 3508.690

sum 18M 20 810 If k :F

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ROBERT D. MORROW DONALD E. MILLER mr 5602mm and 560 170 ATTORNEYS

1. Cash-handling apparatus comprising means for receiving anddetermining the genuineness of cash of different denominations, meansfor registering the amount of genuine cash received, means forregistering the amount of a transaction, a vault for storing genuinecash received, means for comparing the amount of registered cashreceived and the amount of a registered transaction, and means fordispensing cash from said vault as change if the comparison shows thatthe amount of the transaction is less than the amount of the cashreceived, the last-mentioned means comprising means for advancing one ofsaid registering means to a predetermined condition, and means producingchangedispensing signals during the advancement after the condition ofsaid one registering means corresponds to that of the other. 2.Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for registeringthe amount of a transaction comprises a keyboard with a series ofdecades.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said keyboardhas switches controlled by the keys thereof and constituting a series ofdecade registers.
 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein saidmeans for registering the amount of genuine cash comprises a series ofdecade stepping switches for the successive digits of a sum of cash. 5.Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cash-receiving meanshas a bill acceptor and a coin acceptor.
 6. Apparatus in accordance withClaim 5, wherein said bill acceptor has means associated therewith fordirecting bills of one denomination to a magazine and for directingother bills to a storage receptacle.
 7. Apparatus in accordance withclaim 6, wherein said bill acceptor has manually controlled switch meanswith switches corresponding to the different bill denominations to bereceived for controlling the position of said bill-directing means. 8.Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, said apparatus having means fordispensing bills from said magazine as change when required. 9.Apparatus in accordance with claim 8, further comprising means forplacing said bill director in a predetermined position during dispensingof change in order to direct bills from said magazine to a changeoutlet.
 10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein said magazinehas a series of cells and said apparatus has means for inserting asingle bill in each of the cells and dispensing the same therefrom insequence.
 11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, further comprisingan additional magazine for storing bills of a different denominationwhich are not received by said cash-receiving means, said apparatushaving means for dispensing bills from said further magazine as changewhen required.
 12. Apparatus in accordance with claim 11, said furthermagazine having a plurality of cells each receiving a single bill, andsaid means for dispensing said bills from said further magazinecomprising a bill ejector movable step by step from cell to cell of saidfurther magazine.
 13. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein saidmagazine has means for indexing the same relative to means for insertingand withdrawing bills from the cells thereof.
 14. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 13, wherein said magazine has vertical cells andis arranged to index horizontally.
 15. Apparatus in accordance withclaim 6, wherein said bill-directing means is arranged to direct billsto different chutes.
 16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, whereInsaid cash-registering means and said transaction-registering means eachcomprises a series of decade switches corresponding, respectively, tothe digits of the cash received and the transaction, and said comparingmeans comprises means for comparing the condition of switches in thecorresponding decades of the cash-registering means and thetransaction-registering means and for determining whether, in eachdecade, the amount of cash registered is greater than or equal to theamount of the transaction registered, said comparing means having meansresponsive to an equality condition in each decade, except the leastsignificant decade, for rendering that decade ineffective in the overallcomparison.
 17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein saidchange-dispensing means comprises means for computing the change to bereturned decade by decade, beginning with the least significant decade,and progressing in sequence to the most significant decade and whereinsaid means for dispensing change is actuated automatically in responseto a determination that the amount of the transaction registered is lessthan the amount of the cash registered.
 18. Apparatus for dispensingcoins and the like, comprising a plurality of coin chutes for storingcoins therein and having coin-dispensing outlets adjacent to the bottomthereof, a plurality of coin ejectors associated with the correspondingoutlets and adapted to eject the bottom coin from the correspondingchutes when moved to an operative position and thereafter moved to acoin-ejecting position, a plurality of ejector solenoids adapted to movethe corresponding ejectors to their operative positions, a main solenoidfor moving said ejectors to their coin-ejecting positions, switch meansfor controlling the energization of said main solenoid, and common meansfor actuating said switch means in response to the energization of anyone of said ejector solenoids, said ejectors being pivotally supportedupon an element of a frame, said main solenoid being coupled to saidframe for turning the same and moving the ejectors toward thecorresponding outlets, said chutes being arranged vertically and saidejectors being oriented to move generally horizontally, said ejectorsolenoids having vertically movable cores with one end coupled to thecorresponding ejectors for lifting the same when the ejector solenoidsare energized, the other ends of said cores having means for lifting thecommon switch-actuating means.
 19. Apparatus in accordance with claim18, said main solenoid having switch means for inserting an impedance inits energization circuit to reduce the energization of said mainsolenoid after said main solenoid has completed a predetermined portionof its operative stroke.
 20. Apparatus for storing and dispensingarticles such as rolled or folded bills, which comprises a fixedvertical magazine having a series of cells forming a vertical column andadapted to receive said articles, said cells being open at one sidethereof, article ejector means having an element adapted to enter saidcells through the opposite side thereof and to push said articlesthrough said one side of said cells, said ejector means having means forindexing the same downwardly along said magazine from cell to cell, saidindexing means comprising means for holding said ejector means adjacentto each cell and for releasing said ejector means momentarily to drop bygravity to the next lower cell.
 21. Apparatus in accordance with claim20 wherein said means for indexing said ejector means along saidmagazine comprises a pawl and ratchet mechanism.
 22. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 21, wherein the ratchet of said mechanism is fixedto said magazine and the pawl is supported upon the ejector means. 23.Apparatus in accordance with claim 22, wherein the pawl issolenoid-actuated.
 24. Apparatus in accordance with claim 23, whereinsaid ejector means has means for actuating said pawl to permit saidejector means to drop to the next cell and thereaFter for actuating saidpusher element to dispense the article of that cell.
 25. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 24, the last-mentioned means comprising meansmovable in a pusher-element-retracting direction for moving said pawl toa predetermined position and thereafter releasing said pawl andcontinuing to move in said direction, said pawl having spring means formoving it in the opposite direction.
 26. Apparatus in accordance withclaim 25, said means for moving said pawl comprising a solenoid-actuatedspring-returned plunger.
 27. Apparatus in accordance with claim 26,wherein said means for moving said pawl comprises a spring-biased latchelement attached to said pawl, normally biased into engagement withdrive means therefor, and cammed out of engagement with said drive meanswhen the latch element reaches a predetermined position in the travel ofsaid pawl.
 28. Apparatus for handling bills and the like comprising abill acceptor for determining the genuineness of the bills, saidacceptor having means for advancing a bill to a predetermined locationafter determination that the bill is genuine, a multicellular billmagazine for receiving unfolded bills, one per cell, conveyor means forconveying bills from said acceptor to said magazine, means for indexingsaid magazine, cell by cell, sequentially to place empty cells inalignment with said conveyor means for receiving bills therein, meansresponsive to a bill upon reaching said predetermined location foractuating said indexing means to index said magazine and for actuatingsaid conveyor means to advance the bill from said location to the cellaligned with said conveyor means.
 29. Cash-handling apparatus comprisingfirst digital register means for registering therein the amount of cashreceived, second digital register means for registering therein theamount of a transaction, a change computer, a change dispenser connectedto the output of said computer, means for comparing the positions of thedigits entered in said first register means and said second registermeans, and means for actuating said change computer only when the digitin said first register means is at a position representing a highervalue than the digit in said second register means.
 30. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 29, wherein each of said register means comprisesswitch means having a plurality of individually operative switches atdifferent positions, and wherein said comparing means comprises meansfor comparing the positions of the operative switches.
 31. Bill-handlingapparatus comprising bill acceptor means having motor means foradvancing a bill therethrough, a bill magazine movable to receive billsfrom said acceptor means, and means for causing said motor means topause in its operation until said bill magazine has moved to a positionto receive a bill from said acceptor means and thereafter to becomeoperative again to continue the advancement of said bill.
 32. Apparatusin accordance with claim 31, further comprising bill conveyor means foradvancing bills from the outlet of said bill acceptor means to saidmagazine, and means for actuating said bill conveyor means to advance abill from said bill acceptor means to said magazine after said magazinehas moved to a bill-receiving position.
 33. Apparatus in accordance withclaim 32, said magazine having motor means for moving the same to abill-receiving position and having limit switch means for terminatingthe operation of said magazine motor means when said magazine hasreached said position.
 34. Apparatus in accordance with claim 33,wherein said magazine is movable in the opposite direction for thedispensing of bills therefrom and has motor means for moving themagazine in said opposite direction to a position at which a bill may bedispensed, the last-mentioned motor means having limit switch means forterminating the operation thereof when said magazine is in saiddispensing position.
 35. Apparatus in accordance with claim 34, saidconveyor meAns having means for operating it in a direction to withdrawa bill from said magazine.
 36. Apparatus for controlling the dispensingof change, comprising a first register for registering a sum of moneyreceived and a second register for registering the amount of atransaction, one of said registers being a stepping register and havingmeans for advancing it to a condition in accordance with the inputthereto, means for advancing said one register from said condition to acondition of correspondence with the other register, and means forproducing control signals for the dispensing of change in accordancewith the complement of the number of steps taken by said one register toreach said condition of correspondence with the other register. 37.Cash-handling apparatus comprising a plurality of stepping decaderegisters for the successive digits of a sum, a plurality of billingregisters for the successive digits of a billing, there being a sumregister associated with each billing register, means for setting saidsum registers in accordance with the amount of a sum, means for settingsaid billing registers in accordance with the amount of a billing, meansfor advancing the sum register of the least significant digit to a homecondition from its set condition, means for determining when thecondition of the last-mentioned sum register corresponds to thecondition of the associated billing register, means for producing achange control output representing the complement of the number of stepstaken by said advanced sum register to reach said condition ofcorrespondence, and means for causing similar advancing, determining,and producing operations in successive sum decade registers when thepreceding decade registers have reached their home condition. 38.Apparatus in accordance with claim 37, said means for producing a changecontrol output comprising slave-stepping register means operativesynchronously with the sum registers.
 39. Apparatus in accordance withclaim 38, wherein said slave means has means for advancing itsynchronously with one of said sum registers for the production ofchange control signals, and further comprising carry relay means foradvancing said slave means one step before it is advanced in synchronismwith said one sum register in response to the production of a carrycommand from the preceding sum register.
 40. Apparatus in accordancewith claim 37, there being a plurality of transfer relay means forenabling the advancement of said sum registers to their home conditionsin sequence.
 41. Apparatus in accordance with claim 37, said means foradvancing said sum registers comprising a clock.
 42. Apparatus forreceiving an amount representing a sum of cash and an amountrepresenting a billing and for dispensing change representing thedifference therebetween, comprising a series of decade steppingregisters having means for setting the same in accordance with thesuccessive digits of the sum of cash, a series of decade registershaving means for setting the same in accordance with the successivedigits of the billing, transfer relay means for enabling said sumregisters to advance to their home condition individually in succession,means for advancing each of said sum registers to its home condition,coincidence relay means for determining when the condition of each sumregister corresponds to the condition of an associated billing register,slave-stepping register means, means for causing said slave-steppingregister means to advance from its home condition in synchronism withthe stepping of the sum registers when the amounts set in the sumregisters and the associated billing registers call for the dispensingof change, means for halting the advancement of said sum registers attheir home condition after said registers have reached a condition ofcorrespondence with the associated billing registers, means for causingsaid slave register means to return to its home condition after the sumregister stepping in synchronism therEwith has reached its saidcondition of correspondence, and means responsive to said coincidencerelay means and said slave register means during its return to its homecondition for producing change-dispensing commands.
 43. Apparatus inaccordance with claim 42, further comprising carry relay means foradvancing said slave register means one step from its home conditionbefore synchronizing the stepping of said slave relay means with a sumregister if a carry is called for from the preceding decade.